by Sara York
He inched down the hall, his hand shaking as he lifted it to knock. After a few sharp raps on the door, he waited, holding his breath.
“Come in,” someone called from the other side of the door.
His stomach twisted as a ghost of a memory surfaced. The door opened easily, and he froze when he saw the man standing in front of his desk. It wasn’t White, but Whitley. The jerk from the ball he’d attended in Houston was here, and he was alone.
“Don’t worry, you little punk, I’m not going to rape you. But you are going to listen.”
“I’m not staying.” Andries turned to leave, but Whitley’s next words cut through him like a knife.
“You murdered him.”
Andries didn’t even have to ask who. He couldn’t face Whitley, but he couldn’t leave either.
“I asked around. Turns out, you were in the area where Ian Wellington died. I have witnesses ready to talk to the cops.”
“I didn’t—”
“Hush.” Whitley’s voice was close, his breath hot on Andries’ neck. A shiver snaked through Andries, making his knees shake and his stomach cramp.
Andries stayed still, shame and fear coursing through him. He’d fucked up. He should have gone to the police. Guilt and fear had kept him from turning himself in.
“Here’s what’s going to happen.” Ian’s hand was on his shoulder, and Andries shivered and tried to move away, but Ian clamped down. “Don’t move unless I tell you to. You’re going to listen to me, and you’re going to do as I say or you’ll be in jail.”
Andries could only nod. What the heck would this jerk want? He couldn’t hurt Lafferty. He’d rather die than cause harm to his man.
“You’re going to find out the passwords to Miller’s bank accounts and all their financial information. Then you’re going to give it to me.”
“I can’t do that.”
Whitley grabbed his arm and jerked him around. Andries dropped the bag he’d been carrying. The thunk, thunk of an apple rolling across the floor was the only sound. Then Ian’s breathing held his attention as fear skated through him.
“I don’t give a shit how you have to do it, you’ll fucking do it, or I’ll make sure the police know you murdered Ian.”
Anger filled him. “You can’t prove it.”
“And you can’t prove you didn’t. You’re some homeless punk who is taking advantage of a prosperous businessman. Who the fuck do you think they’ll believe? Me or you? You were in the area that night, and you’re going to go down for it if you don’t get me the information I want.”
“Lafferty isn’t here.”
“I know he’s in Europe. You have three weeks to get me the information.”
Andries’ throat was dry, and his head ached. There wasn’t any way he would go behind Lafferty’s back and do what this jerk wanted. He’d have to leave, disappear somehow in the streets. Or maybe he’d run. He could head south and get lost in Miami or maybe somewhere out in California. He didn’t need to stay here.
“I’m watching you. If you don’t send me the information in three weeks, I’ll turn you in to the cops. They’ve been looking for Ian’s killer for a long while now. And you’re just the right person to go down for it.”
“What do you want with their banking information?” Maybe he could figure something out.
Whitley’s fist to the side of his head made his breath catch. He stumbled and reached out for the wall, steadying himself.
“Don’t ask questions. Just do what I fucking want.”
Andries wouldn’t betray Lafferty. He’d rather die. This man was evil. He’d seen it on the streets. There was no changing evil. He’d have to accept this man would try to ruin whatever gains he made. As much as it pained him, he’d have to leave Lafferty.
“Now go, you little shit.”
The air seemed too thin, and his head buzzed. “How do I get you the information?”
“Call this number, and I’ll arrange a meeting with you.” Whitley handed him a card. “You do what I say, or you’ll pay big time.”
Andries pocketed the card and took off, his stomach churning as he ran through the scenarios in his mind. He was screwed. There wasn’t any way he could get out of this without ruining Lafferty’s life or his own. He sure as hell wasn’t going to betray Lafferty by giving Whitley the information he wanted. He’d have to leave.
The thought of walking out on Lafferty was so abhorrent his breath caught in his throat, and he felt like he was going to choke. He had no other choice. The weight of the decision pressed on his chest and his mind, leaving him with no options. He couldn’t drag Lafferty down with him. He’d fucked up on the rooftop, and now he’d have to pay for how he’d acted.
The reception area was empty when he left the offices. Was this all a setup? There wasn’t a name on the door or behind the reception desk. If he came back here, he guessed this Whitley guy wouldn’t be here. What kind of crap was he involved in now? He had no contact information for Whitley, no way to track him down. It would be impossible to explain what had happened.
Andries headed back to the store. He had two more hours before he was off for the day. Time slowed to a snail’s pace as he ran his deliveries. There were no options. He would have to leave.
That night, when Lafferty called, he let it go to voice mail. The texts went unanswered. How could he tell Lafferty it was over? The first beer didn’t bring any relief, but four in he wasn’t feeling any pain. At midnight, he passed out, then the next morning, he woke to his alarm blaring. The reality of what had happened hit hard when he spied four unread texts from Lafferty.
He had to leave. His stomach ached, and his head throbbed. He couldn’t take not answering Lafferty. His life was fucked, and he had no options. Everything good had been more than he deserved. He wasn’t supposed to have good things.
Because he didn’t have anything else to do, he went into work. The day was gray and cold, leaving him unsatisfied as he delivered packages. Midway through the day, he’d decided he wouldn’t allow the jerk to pull his strings and force him to abandon Lafferty. Then he had to drop off a package, and it ended up going to a cop who said he didn’t order anything. Turns out, the person who placed the order was Mr. White, and the cop’s first name was Ian.
Heat filled Andries as his head throbbed. He would never escape Whitley. The man would haunt him forever.
Again, he ignored calls and texts. He eventually just turned off the phone and drank himself into a stupor. The next morning he headed to work but knew this had to be his last day. He withdrew some money, enough to buy a train ticket and head south, and then he told his boss he wouldn’t be in again. He made up some lie about having to leave.
He lay in bed, scared about what would happen to Lafferty. He had caused this problem, and now it was up to him to fix it. If he had to give everything up to save Lafferty, he would.
His train was set to leave at eleven, but he didn’t see any reason to stick around. This apartment held too many memories. The hope he’d had was gone, and he was left with nothing but pain.
Before he took off, he started a letter to Lafferty. All he got down was Dear Lafferty, I’m sorry I can’t explain. Life is too difficult at times, and this was one of the most challenging decisions I’ve ever made.
Pounding on the door interrupted him. He set down the pen and stepped to the door, blowing out a breath, praying it wasn’t Whitley. He tugged open the door and froze as shock filled him. Bruce and Jump were there, their lips thinned.
“What happened to your phone?” Bruce asked.
“What?”
“You’re not answering Lafferty.”
He couldn’t tell them. They wouldn’t understand. “I dropped it.”
Jump pulled out his phone and punched a few buttons before handing the device to Andries. “Talk,” Jump demanded as he handed the phone off.
“Jump, did you find him?”
Andries’ heart lurched at Lafferty’s voice. He couldn’t do this. He’d
made up his mind, and there wasn’t any other way. He couldn’t stay with Lafferty, not without betraying him. And there wasn’t any way in heck he would betray his lover.
“Hello, Jump. You there?”
“It’s not Jump, it’s me.”
“Andries. What’s wrong. Why won’t you answer my calls or texts.”
He had to lie. There wasn’t any way he could tell Lafferty the truth. Lafferty would get over him. He wished he’d gotten away before Jump and Bruce had shown up on his doorstep.
“I-I—” Jump and Bruce were staring at him and Lafferty was waiting for an answer on the other end of the line. Andries felt like a fool. He’d screwed up again. How could he actually think he could walk away? He cared too much about Lafferty to leave, but if he didn’t, then all they’d meant to each other would be ruined.
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
Lafferty’s voice was low, his tone full of compassion. It made Andries hurt more. The sob he was fighting with won. His lips quivered, and he had to turn away from Jump and Bruce. He wasn’t able to speak or breathe or think. He’d screwed up again, and there was no coming back from it.
“Please talk to me,” Lafferty begged.
“I can’t. I just can’t.”
He hung up and handed the phone to Jump before running out the door. Bruce yelled after him, but he was too fast and slipped away. He’d come back later for his bags. He hadn’t bought the train ticket yet, so he figured he would do it tomorrow or the next day and then leave.
He’d quit work and didn’t have anywhere to go, so he headed uptown to Central Park and hung out, praying the apartment was empty when he went back. His belly twisted with hunger, but if he spent money on eating, he wouldn’t have enough later. He waited and watched, hating how he had to rely on old skills to get food.
The last few weeks had made him soft. He didn’t want to eat food from the trash, but he had little choice. Some kid didn’t like his burger, and the dad tossed it. Andries was on the food fast, grabbing the burger before anyone else could get it. The kid was crazy because the burger was pure heaven. Maybe he was just hungry, but he felt great after consuming the rest of the food.
At eleven, he headed back to the apartment, exhaustion riding him hard. Luckily he’d pocketed the keys before he’d run out. He let himself in and went straight to the refrigerator, pulling out the orange juice and drinking from the bottle before turning.
The lights flipped on, and he almost dropped the bottle of juice. Bruce’s brows were bunched, and his lips were down in a frown.
“You hungry?” Bruce asked.
Fear held him but he nodded. He was starving, and the orange juice had helped, but he’d not eaten enough during the day.
Bruce stepped over to the stove and turned it on before pulling out a frying pan. He grabbed a carton of eggs from the refrigerator, the package of tortillas, cheese, and lunch meat. He didn’t say anything as he assembled the food. Jump got out of the bed and came in to sit at the table.
Andries thought of running, but he didn’t want to sleep on the streets. He’d grown used to the comfort of a bed, even if the apartment was crap and the heater didn’t work well.
“We talked to Lafferty,” Jump said.
His gaze swung to the man, and fear hit hard. “What about?”
Bruce placed the plate of food on the table. “Eat.”
Jump sat back and seemed to relax. “We know you aren’t really married. He told us the whole story. He also said he was falling for you, had been for a while. He hadn’t intended on building a relationship with you, but it happened. He fell in love. Imagine that. He fell in love with you, and you ran out on him.”
Andries had just taken a bite of food. He was starving, but he wasn’t sure he’d be able to finish eating. He swallowed and set the egg burrito Bruce had made on the plate.
“I—”
Jump held up his hand and sat up straight. “Be very careful what you say. We love Lafferty like a brother. He may technically be my nephew, but I think of him as more.”
Andries nodded and closed his eyes. He wasn’t sure what he could say. A sob escaped, and he felt Bruce’s hand on his shoulder.
“Just tell us everything. We’ll figure it out,” Bruce said.
“I’m in big trouble.”
“Tell me what happened,” Bruce said.
He took another bite of food and chewed slowly before sitting back and meeting Bruce’s gaze.
“Last winter, when it was freezing, I was staying in a slum of a building. I couldn’t sleep, and there was an odd noise. I went to investigate and found a boy too young to be on the streets being fucked by some guy. The kid was screaming. He didn’t want it, but he was tied to a table and couldn’t go anywhere. I hit the guy in the back, and he stopped. Then the dude ran upstairs instead of down. I followed. It was so cold on top of the building and it was sleeting. He slipped and fell. Whitley has threatened me. He told me I had to do something, or he would go to the police and turn me in.”
“Hold on,” Bruce said. “You didn’t do anything.”
Andries shook his head. “But the cops wouldn’t see it that way. The guy was loaded. He was rich, and I was homeless. Do you really think they would have listened to me?”
“So let me get this straight,” Jump said. “The guy was having sex with an underage kid, and you stopped them. Then the guy ran up to the roof and slipped and fell, and you didn’t call the cops.”
“I didn’t see him fall.”
“Did you find his body?” Bruce asked.
“No, it wasn’t until a few days later I learned he died.”
Jump held up his hand and opened his mouth, his agitation was evident. “So you didn’t see the guy slip, you just assumed he slipped.”
“It was slippery up there. I didn’t see him when I stepped out. It was so bad I went back inside. I didn’t want to be up there. It was cold and sleeting.”
“So you didn’t see the guy fall, you don’t even know if he fell, but now some guy is trying to blame you for his death.”
Andries nodded at Jump’s question. There was no way the cops would have listened to him.
“What did you do after you left the roof?” Bruce asked.
“I had to untie the kid. He was hurting, and I made sure he was okay.”
Jump closed his eyes and sighed. “Was he okay?”
“Yeah.” Andries shrugged. “It was his first time. He ached for a few days. Then I lost touch with him after a while. That happens on the street. You hang with someone for a few weeks, then they go off and end up in another area. Or they are gone.”
“Whitley found you?”
“Yes. He found out where I was working and had me deliver stuff to an office. He said if I didn’t—” Andries clamped his mouth shut. He didn’t want to reveal what had been said. Not that he would have turned on Lafferty or his family, but he was so embarrassed that he’d been asked to.
“What?” Bruce asked.
Andries’ stomach lurched. He shook his head and then blew out a huge breath. “He wanted me to hand over your banking information and passwords. It’s why I’m leaving. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t betray you all.”
“So, you were going to leave?” Bruce asked.
Anger flared. “I couldn’t betray him. If I stayed, the guy would make me get the information. I couldn’t betray Lafferty. Heck, I would never betray your family.”
Jump blew out a harsh breath. “I’m sorry, but I’m exhausted. Can we go to sleep and talk about this in the morning?”
Andries finished the food Bruce had made and then washed the plate. Bruce had already cleaned the kitchen and put away the pan. After he cleaned the plate, he turned back to Jump and met his gaze.
“I’m sorry. I don’t want to cause problems.”
Jump stood and moved to him, pulling him into a loose hug. “You wanted to do the right thing. We’ll get Lafferty on the phone tomorrow and get you two talking. I’m going to call a lawyer who we
know and find out what he can discover about the guy who died on the roof. What was his name?”
“Ian Wellington.”
“I remember when Ian died,” Bruce said. “The paper made a huge deal about it. He was a respected businessman who was in a bad part of town. They said he’d been beaten.”
“I only hit his back. I didn’t beat him,” Andries said.
“If I remember correctly, a few people came forward and said he had raped them. There was this whole ‘don’t speak ill of the dead’ backlash, and it quieted down.”
“He was raping the kid. I don’t know what happened to the kid after that, but the dude, Ian, he wasn’t a nice man.”
“I’m exhausted,” Jump said and moved to the bed, stretching out.
“I’ll take the beanbag after I use the restroom,” Andries said.
Bruce moved to him and hugged him. “Don’t run off again. We can work through anything, but you have to be willing to stick around.”
His gaze hit the floor, and guilt filled him. “Okay. I won’t leave in the morning.”
“Thank you. Now then, I think Jump is going to be mad if I don’t shut up and go to bed.”
“Sure,” Andries said before slipping into the bathroom. He stared at his reflection in the mirror, wondering if he could face Lafferty. The man was his heart and soul. He didn’t want to disappoint Lafferty, but he didn’t know if he could hold his own against the lies Whitley was willing to tell.
It took a while for him to drift off. He woke to the scent of coffee and cinnamon rolls. After a quick trip to the restroom, he came out and found Bruce in the comfy chair and Jump sitting at the table. They both got up and hugged him before he grabbed his coffee.
He sat at the table and was about to take a bite when Jump cleared his throat. He glanced up and met Jump’s gaze.
“Lafferty will be here in about five minutes.”
“What? I didn’t think he was coming back yet.” Panic set in, and he hopped up, almost knocking over his mug of coffee.
“Sit,” Bruce said.
Andries slowly lowered to the seat. “He’s going to hate me.”
